Allan Ottey of St James High

Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau

Already with a 2-1 first-leg lead, rural kingpins St James High School will be chasing history today when they battle urban champions St George's College in their second leg of the 2008 Olivier Shield at Jarrett Park, in Montego Bay, starting at 3p.m.

A win or a draw for the Pastor Hugh Solomon-coached aggregation, which copped both the Ben Francis KO title and the daCosta Cup in earlier finals this season, would see them becoming the first non-traditional high school to join the elite band of schools that have won the triple crown - Ben Francis, daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield.

"While we won't be complacent, we are nonetheless quite confident that we will become triple champions," said Pastor Solomon. "Having seen the St George's team in the first-leg game in Kingston, I think we know what to expect of them."

However, the Neville 'Bertis' Bell-coached St George's College team, which had previously only lost one game this season, will be looking to turn the tables on the St James team, which probably exposed them as much any other team has done this season but coming from a goal down to beat them.

"I thought we play a decent game today so I can't really give my players a hard time," said coach Bell at the conclusion of the first-leg game at the Constant Spring Complex. "Unlike our opponents, we did not take our chances."

all-out attack

In looking ahead to today's game, coach Bell made it quite clear that the St George's team will not be going down without a fight, and is promising all-out attack in a bid to do what no other team has done this season, which is to beat the St James High team at Jarrett Park.

"It will be attack, attack, attack ... as we will be aiming to get some goals in this return game," said coach Bell, who is seeking to add the Olivier Shield to his list of titles won.

However, back on the familiar Jarrett Park turf, where they trounced Dinthill Technical 4-0 in the Ben Francis KO final and later spanked Spaldings High 2-0 in the daCosta Cup final, St James would have good reason to believe they are invincible at this venue.

In the first-leg game at Constant Spring, the St George's team, which has develop a fearsome reputation as an attacking team, took a 1-0 lead through skipper Kemal Malcolm, only to have St James striking back through star strikers Allan Ottey and Nicholi Barrett, who got their their 22nd and 24th goals of the season, respectively.

For today's contest, the St George's team, which will be seeking their first Olivier Shield title in 16 years, will be hoping that skipper Malcolm, his strike partner, the prolific Shamar Shelton and the midfield trio of Kemar Cummings, Carl Reid and Dan Evans, will find the formula to blunt St James' triple-crown aspirations.

However, with home advantage coupled with their impressive record at Jarrett Park, St James will be looking to Ottey and Barrett in attack, star midfielder, 15-year-old Ricardo Morris, Ajohn Barker and Keniel Kirlew in midfield, and skipper Fabian McCarthy and John Barrett to give them victory.

"We did the hard work in Kingston by winning that first-leg game," said McCarthy, who is in his last season of schoolboy football. "It is now the time to get the job done and collect the Olivier Shield."